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Editor's note: The original overall score of 7.5 for the V7 D24W33 was the result of a miscalculation of the subrating scores. The new score of 7.0 accurately reflects the subrating scores we gave the V7. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.

With a list price of $429, the V7 D24W33 is the cheapest 24-inch display we've reviewed to date (and it can be found for as little as $399). The next closest in price is the Gateway FHD2400, which can be found for as low as $460. Gateway's LCD provides many more connection options, but the V7 outclasses it when it comes to DisplayMate and real-world performance--particularly DVD playback. The Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP delivers comparable performance to the V7 and more connections, but it will run you $600 or more. With only VGA and HDMI (the display includes a HDMI-to-DVI cable) video connections, the V7 D24W33 does not earn many versatility points. We doubt, however, you'll find a cheaper 24-inch LCD with comparable performance.

Design
The V7 D24W33 is an ordinary-looking monitor with a dark gray finish. It has a 1-inch thick bezel on each side and on the top. On the bottom, the bezel distance is extended by another 1.5 inches to include a white V7 logo and to house the built-in speakers. The stereo speakers are located in the bottom corners of the display. Each speaker is surrounded by a series of horizontal grooves that can make a sort of "zip" noise if you quickly pass your fingers on them.

The screen easily rotates about 50 degrees to the left and right and tilts back about 30 degrees. It also pivots 90 degrees to the right for portrait mode. What we really like, though, is the effect a vertical screen has on certain applications like Word, where the program will automatically adjust to the pivot. For instance, if you're viewing a document in the print layout format where you have two pages side by side and you pivot the screen, Word adjusts the document so that one page is above the other. Unfortunately, the Pivot software included--version 8.21--does not adjust the screen automatically when the screen pivots. You are required to either rotate the image via the software before or after actually rotating the monitor.

The included 5-feet long power cord is too short for our tastes, especially if you are going to be pivoting the monitor with any regularity. The screen height adjusts to a long 5.1 inches, and the rectangular stand provides a solid footing, measuring 12 inches wide and 8.5 inches deep. The V7 D24W33 stayed upright and didn't wobble that much when we knocked our test bench around a bit.

The On Screen Display is located in the bottom center of the display, above the V7 logo. The buttons are wide and when pressed give a satisfying snap. Each button is labeled with very clear white text and the OSD navigation was intuitive, allowing for the usual manipulation of brightness, contrast, and color, which include only three temperature presets. The speaker volume is controlled from within the OSD, although we'd prefer to have the two arrow buttons default to volume control, as it can sometimes be a pain to have to navigate the OSD just to adjust the volume. Along those same lines, a mute button would have been useful as well.

Features
When it comes to connection options, the V7 D24W33 is the bizarro-world version of the Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP we reviewed a while back. While the Dell included DVI, HDMI, Component, and DisplayPort, the V7 D24W33 includes HDMI and VGA. That's it. No other connection options whatsoever. It seems that V7 skimped on options to keep the price low. Thankfully, V7 does include a HDMI-to-DVI cable so you aren't forced to seek out a graphics card with an HDMI port to view the display at its native 1,920x1,200 resolution. There is also a headphone jack sensibly placed on the lower right-hand corner of the display.

Eric Franklin leads the CNET Reviews editors in San Francisco as managing editor. A 20-year industry veteran, Eric began his tech journey testing computers in the CNET Labs. When not at work he can usually be found at the gym, at the movies, or at the edge of his couch with a game controller in his hands.
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